CHRISTIANITY AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COLONIALISM IN EAST AFRICA

The establishment of colonialism in East Africa took place in the 19^th century and in the early years of the 20^thcentury.

However, before this period, some European groups had already been in the region but had no interest of controlling the Africans.

The first group of Europeans to come to East Africa was that of the Portuguese who operated at the coast of East Africa between 1500-1700

Explorers such as John spoke, Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingston had also been in East Africa for some time and they reported back the economic potentials of East Africa to their home government.

The good reports of the explorers made European traders to come into East Africa to exploit its resources e.g. IBEACO formed by William Mackinnon and GEACO formed by Carl Peters.

In the meantime, missionary groups also arrived in the region and it was not easy to identify them as colonialists because they presented themselves as evangelists.

The truth is they were real colonialists who came to pave way for the colonization of East Africa hoping that colonialism will help them spread the gospel.

Role of the missionaries in the colonization of East Africa

They softened the hearts and minds of the East Africans through their Christian teachings which made Africans to accept European colonialism e.g. they taught Africans to love their neighbors as they loved themselves which made them not to fight the colonialist.

Some missionaries worked as explorers e.g. David Livingstone and Rebmann. These reported the East African mineral wealth to the British government forcing the British to come and take over East Africa.

Missionaries involved themselves in signing treaties which also eased the colonization of East Africa e.g. they involved in signing of the 1900 Buganda agreement which gave powers to the whites to control the Buganda kingdom.

Missionaries financed the activities of chartered companies which also facilitated colonialism e.g. IBEACO went bankrupt; it was financed by the CMS to continue with its work in Uganda hence facilitating colonialism.

They involved themselves directly in the politics of East African society like in Buganda were they over threw Kabaka Mwanga which made Buganda to lose her independence

Christian missionaries directly worked together with chartered companies in spread of colonialism e.g. in Buganda the CMS worked with Captain Fredrick Lugard of IBEACo to take over Buganda region.

The missionaries education produced to a number of African elite collaborators with the whites e.g. Apollo kagwa and Semei Kakungulu spread colonialism in the whole of Uganda because of missionary education.

Missionaries built roads and railways which were later used by the colonialists to transport colonial troops and administrators into East Africa.

They put up health centers in form of dispensaries and hospitals in East Africa that reduced on the disease threatsthat had scared colonialists hence attracting them to come in East Africa

The missionaries introduced cash crop economy by encouraging East Africans to grow cash cops which attracted colonization of Buganda kingdom

Missionaries decompaigned African culture and praised the European culture which made many Africans to admire anything European including colonialism.

Missionaries engaged in wars of colonial concept e.g. religious wars in Buganda that contributed to the colonization of Buganda kingdom.

Christian missionaries provided the earliest sketch maps of East Africa that guided the colonial masters in their conquest and colonization of the East Africa interior.

Missionariesinvited their home government to come and colonize the area that they had Christianized. E.g. the CMS invited Britain to come and take over Buganda shortly after the religious wars.

They divided the East Africans along Christian denominations i.e. into Catholics and Protestants making them too weak to fight against colonial rule.

They reported the hostile and friendly communities of East Africa which made the colonialists come well prepared to fight the hostile tribes.

Missionaries befriended East African leaders who easily accepted the colonialists when they came leading to colonialism e.g. the kabaka of Buganda welcomed the colonialists and gave them his chiefs to help them extend colonial rule.

Missionaries abolished slave trade which made Africans love them and when the colonialists came they welcomed them thinking that they were as good as missionaries.

Christian missionaries introduced legitimate trade which made many East African rich through selling their agricultural produces. This made them well come the colonialists thinking that they were as good as the missionaries.

They civilized the East Africans through abolishing barbaric practices like human sacrifices, circumcision etc which made East Africa fall in love with all the whites including the colonialists hence the colonization of East Africa.

Other factors:

Good climate.

Fertile soils that favoured plantation farming.

Rise of Nationalism in Europe.

The Berlin conference of 1884-1885.

Discovery of minerals in South Africa.

The industrial revolution in Europe made them to come for raw materials.

Need to invest their excess capital.

The desire to secure market their finished goods.

The need to settle their excess population.

Role played by the chartered companies.

The strategic location.

How colonialism aided Christianity in East Africa

Having been helped by the missionaries to establish colonialism in East Africa, the colonial masters also started helping and facilitating the spread of Christianity as shown below.

The colonial government also gave the missionaries freedom of most to any territory they wanted which made the preachers to preach the gospel to the whole of East Africa.

Colonial authorities influenced their home governments to send money to the missionaries to spread the gospel so as to take over the areas they had Christianized.

Colonialists agreed never to interfere negatively in the affairs and activities of the Christian missionaries which also enabled the missionaries to preach the gospel smoothly.

The colonialists assisted the missionaries in the provision of health/ medical services to the East Africans. This attracted many East African into the church hence its expansion.

Colonialists further assisted the missionaries in the provision of education to the people of East Africa. This also attracted many people to join Christianity.

Colonialists also linked the missionaries to the local political and cultural leaders which paved way for the effective spreading of the gospel in such kingdom.

The colonialists developed communication lines such as roads and railway lines which were used by the missionaries to penetrate into the interior of East Africa with the gospel.

Due to colonialism, the Berlin conference was called and this led to peaceful missionary competition over converts which favored the spread of the church.

Colonialists worked hand in hand with the missionaries to fight and stop slave trade and slavery. This brought peace hence leading to the spread of the gospel.

The colonial authorities also worked hard to develop legitimate trade and this attracted many East Africans to join the missionaries and accepting the gospel.

Colonialists also supported the missionaries in the development of cash crop agriculture among East Africans. This made blacks to accept the gospel that were being spread by the missionaries.

Colonialists further fought and weakened the spread of Islam hence leaving Christianity as the only dominate religion.

The colonial administrative centers were also used as missionary centers from where the missionaries based to reach out to other places e.g. Nairobi and Entebbe.

How colonialism conflicted with Christianity

Colonialism at times hindered the spread of Christianity in East Africa as explained below.

The colonialists in East Africa only favored missionary groups from their home countries and neglected others e.g. in Uganda, the French Catholics working in rural areas were neglected by the British hence hindering their work.

The freedom of movement given to the missionaries by the colonialists created unhealthy competition and clashes between the Catholics and the Protestants which spoilt the image of church.

Colonialists later criticized missionary services which hindered the spread of the church. E.g. they criticized missionary education calling it too theoretical which made some people not to join Christianity.

Later on, colonialists took over education from the missionaries which made students from missionary schools to run into colonial schools hence reducing the number of church converts.

The colonialists further started offering help health services to Africans which also made some African not to join Christianity since they could get treated by the colonialists.

The colonialists fought many wars of conquest which brought insecurity hence hindering the missionary work of spreading the gospel e.g. the Hehe, Nandi Maji-Maji rebellions etc.

The European colonial interests in Uganda contributed to the outbreak of the religious wars in Buganda which also hindered the spread of the gospel.

Colonial interest partly led to the killing of Bishop Hannington an event that made many East Africans scared of joining Christianity.

Colonialists exploited East Africans which made people hate all whites including missionaries hence refusing to join Christianity e.g. in Kenya, the Kikuyu saw no difference between the colonialists and missionaries.

Due to colonialism, East Africans refused to join Christianity thinking that the Christian missionaries were agents of European colonialists.